Gas tube, electrode, etc.



G. 5. JAMES 1,901,600

GAS TUBE, ELECTRODE, ETC

Filed Feb. 18, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 14, 1933.

March 14; 1933. G. s. JAMES- GAS TUBE, ELECTRODE, ETC

Filed Feb. 18, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 f gwfi ,5? 1/671 {07 660) e iJanze-s,

Patented Mar. 14, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGE S. JAMES, 0F BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

TO JAMES NEON DOUBLE ELECTRODE CORPORATION, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A COR- PORATION OI DELAWARE GAS TUBE, ELECTRODE, ETC.

Application filed February This invention relates to an illuminating device, and in its more specific aspects aims to provide an article and apparatus of this character which is particularly useful in connection with vacuum tubes containing gases and employing internal electrodes.

A specific embodiment of the invention will be hereinafter described and in such embodi ment a neon tube will be referred to. to be understood, however, that this is merely illustrative and that the invention is in many aspects of equal value in connection with tubes filled with other gases and, in fact, certain features thereof may be employed in numerous different associations, as will hereinafter appear.

Generally stated, it is an object of the in- 7 vention to provide an illuminating device of the nature aforestated which will have an effective life far greater than has heretofore been regarded as practicable.

It is afurther object of the invention to construct a tube in which the electrodes may, if desired, be relatively minute.

Another object of the invention is that of constructing a tube which may optionally be employed, for example, in connection with advertising or illumination purposes and which tube will, under operating conditions, be of greater brilliancy than tubes as heretofore constructed.

Still another object is that of furnishing a tube, the operation of which will commence substantially instantly the current is turned on and in which, moreover, the gas with which the same is filled need not be of the same high degree of purity as has heretofore been regarded as essential.

An additional object is that of providing a device of this character which may be economically manufactured; which will stand the strains incident to handling and ship-- ment without damage; which will require a minimum of servicing and have a long, effective life. a With these and further ob ects in mind reference is had to the attached sheets of drawings illustrating practical embodiments of the invention, and in which:

It is" 18, 1929- Serial No. 340,776.

Fig. 1 shows diagrammatically one form of apparatus.

.Fig. 2 is a side elevation chamber.

Fig. 3 illustrates the electrode prior to its shaping operation.

Fig. 4 discloses one form of automatic cutout'which may be provided.

Figs. 5 and 6 are views similar to Fig. 1, but showing a different lay-out of the apparatus, and

Fig. 7 is a plan View of one of the details illustrated in Fig. 6. I

Referring primarily to Fig. 1, the numeral 10 indicates a tube which, in the embodiment illustrated, has been evacuated and filled with rare gas such as, neon. The ends of this tube terminate in electrode chambers 11 and within each of the latter a pair of terminals, generally indicated at 12, are positioned. Each of these terminals, as'shown in Figs. 2 and 3, is preferably formed of a strip of suitable material 13 spirally coiled as at 14 so that, under the action of heat, the terminal may expand longitudinally of the electrode chamber, thus avoiding all probabilities of the terminal contacting with the tube Wall 'or with the adjacent terminal. Leads 15, 16, 17 and 18 are connected respectively to the terminals, it being, of course, understood that a suitable seal is provided to insure against the entrance of air into the tube or'to prevent the escape of gas from within the same. Such a seal is shown at 19 in F ig. 2' and may form a part of the tube proper.

The leads aforenamed are connected to the high tension'terminals of transformers 20 and 21, respectively, and leads 22, 23, 24 and 25 are connected to the current in-put side of these transformers. The leads 22 and 24 may be connected directly to the current source, but the leads 23 and 25 are connected to spaced contact points 26 and 27, respectively, between which a circuit-closing of an electrode member is mounted. This member, in the present instance, takes the form of a thermostatic strip 28 maintained under tension by a restraining element 29 wh-ich'may be ad- 'usted so as at 30 to vary such tension. A eating element 31 is disposed adjacent to or encircling the thermostatic element and has one of its ends connected to the lead 23, its other end being in electrical connection with the strip 28 and the body of this heater being insulated from the strip, as has been indicated at 32. When cool the contact carried by the strip closes the circuit through of one of a pair of electrodes at each end of the tube and a consequent illumination of such tube. As soon as the thermostat acts the circuit through these electrodes will be broken and the other electrode of. each pair will begin to function. This change will be virtually instantaneous, so that no optically visible interruption will occur. As a consequence, a continuous illumination of the tube will follow and one pair of electrodes will be cooling while the other pair are active. As a result, none of the electrodes will reach a critical temperature under which, .during cooling, they will absorb the gas within the tube. Additionally, the electrodes will not reach a condition at which portions of the same will be deposited upon the tube walls, resulting again in an impairment to the efiiciency of-the tube, and, moreover, these electrodes will not reach a critical temperature such that they might give off occludedgases to an extent resulting in the impairment of tube efficiency.

Referring to the form of apparatus shown in Fig. 5, it will be noted that while transformers 33 and 34 are employed and which have their high tension leads connected with the electrodes of different pairs at opposite ends of the tube, as has been shown in Fig. 1, the in-put leads 35, 36, 37 and 38 are connected to a timing mechanism: This mechanism may take the form of a pair of camshaped elements 39 and 40, each having contact strips 41 which preferably terminate in insulating portions 42. Co-operating with the periphery or contact portions of these elements are spring arms 44, and it will be understood that with these timing elements driven in synchronism and connected to one lead 45 of the in-put, the second lead 46 of which is connected to the leads 35 and 37, that an alternate energization of the transformers will occur to produce the desired result. Moreover, due to the fact that a cam surface preferably forms a part of each of the timin' elements, a quick break of the circuit will ollow. At this time it will, moreover, be appreciated that if desired the contact strips or segments 41 might be so proportioned that an overlap would occur, or,

if desired, the transformers might operate successively.

Referring to Figs. 6 and 7, the in-put leads 47 and 48 are provided. The first of these is connected to a contact element 49 engageable with a breaker arm 50, the latter being operated by a cam 51, and from this breaker arm the lead extends to the low tension side of a transformer generally indicated at 52. The cam 51 is mounted upon a shaft 53 and this shaft carries a timer arm or segment 54 travelling adjacent to the strips 55, the latter being connected one to each of leads 56 and 57.

The lead 48 is connected to the in-put side of the transformer and one of the high tension leads 58 of the latter is connected to the pair of electrodes, while the other lead 59 is connected. to a contact element60 cooperating with the arm or segment 54. Thus, as the shaft 53 is driven in any desirable manner, the current flow through the in-put side of thetransformer will be pe-' riodically interrupted, and the flow from the high tension leads of the latter will be likewise interrupted. Such interruption will, of course, be above the optically visual range, so that no detrimental effects will occur in this connection.

It will be obvious that in the several forms afore-described the same benefits as those attributed to the construction of Figs. 1 to 4 will occur, and in certain respects these benefits will even be enhanced in the alternative construction suggested. Additionally, it has been found that by interrupting the current fiow different gases within the tube will quickly inter-mix, or the atoms will be shattered to greater extent and will endeavor to reform themselves, which, visually, will result in a tube having steady and intense qualities. Moreover, by these structures the necessity of utilizing salts or other'chemicals causing orfacilitating ionization, is eliminated, and the desired effect is achievedby taking advantage of natural electrical laws rather than by the employment of foreign bodies, which are impure or harmful and, in any event, are not desirable in view of their difficulty of control.

It is obvious, from the foregoing, that among others the objects specifically aforementioned are achieved. It will, moreover, be apparent that the features of the invention are not necessarily limited, although they are primarily intended for use in connection with tubes containing gases. Thus, the features of the invention might, in certain instances, be employed in connection with both high and low tension current's or currents of high frequency and in conjunction with different types of tubes, lamps, bulbs, et cetera.

. I claim as my invention:

1. An apparatus of the character described including a tube, two pairs of electrodes extending into said tube, leads connected to each of said pairs of electrodes, a pair of transformers, the high tension-terminals of which are respectively connected to said leads and means for alternately energizing such transformers to alternately energize terminals of different pairs.

2. An apparatus of the character described including a pair of transformers, means for alternately supplying current to the in-put sides of said transformers, a tube body, pairs of electrodes disposed within said body and the electrodes of different pairs being connected to the high tension terminals of different transformers.

3. An apparatus of the character described including, in combination, a pair of transformers, a circuit maker and breaker connected to said transformers and being common to the in-put side of each of the same, means for positively operating said circuitmaker and breaker to alternately energize the transformers, a tube, pairs of electrodes c0- operating with said tube and the electrodes of each pair being connected to the high tension terminals of different transformers.

4. An apparatus of the character described including, in combination, a pair of transformers, a circuit-maker and breaker connected to said transformers and being com mon to the in-put side of each of the same, means for positively operating said circuitmaker and breaker to alternately energize the transformers, a tube, pairs of electrodes 00- operating with said tube and the electrodes of each pair being connected to the high tension terminals of different transformers, said circuit-maker and breaker comprising a thermostatic strip under tension, a pair of spaced contact elements with each of which said strip alternately cooperates, a heater adjacent to said strip and means for energizing and interrupting the operation of said heater.

An apparatus of the character described including, in combination, a pair of transformers, a circuit-maker and breaker connected to said transformers and being common to the in-put side of each of the same, means for positively operating said circuitmaker and breaker to alternately energize the transformers, a tube, pairs of electrodes cooperating with said tube and the electrodes of each pair being connected to the high tension terminals of different transformers, said circuit-maker and breaker comprising a thermostatic strip under tension, a pair of spaced contact elements with each of which said strip alternately cooperates, a heater adjacent to said strip, means for energizing and interrupting the operation of said heater and means for varying the tension under which said thermostatic strip is placed.

6. An apparatus of the character described including a tube, two pairs of terminals in association with said tube, a pair of transformers, the high tension leads of each transformer being connected to electrodes of different pairs and a timing mechanism connected to the in-put sides of said transformers to alternately' energize the same.

7. An apparatus of the character described including a tube, two pairs of terminals in association with said tube, a pair of transformers, the high tension leads of each transformer being connected to electrodes of different pairs and a timing mechanism connected to the in-put sides of said transform: ers to alternately energize the same, the operation of one transformer being interrupted subsequently to the energization of the other.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

GEORGE S. JAMES. 

